Blue flame burner



Oct. 8, 1940. c. w. oAvl El Al.

BLUE FLAME BURNER Filed Oct. 17, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS AND 14 04 V6.

6027-1. W44 72? 5. ENGH.

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 8, 1940.

c w. DAVIS ET AL BLUE FLAME BURKE? Filed Oct. 1'7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. C'OETLfl/VD W 0/1 v15. VY4LTER 15. ENGH.

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 8, 1940. c. w. DAVIS ET AL BLUE FLAME BURNER Filed Oct. 1?. 19:58

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 CoerLn/vo IVDA v/s ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 8, 1940 BLUE FLAME BURNER Cortland w. Davis and Walter B. Engh, Alexandria. Ind., assignors to The Mantle Lamp Company of America, Chicago, 111., a corpora-v tion of Illinois Application October 17, 1938, Serial No. 235,445

In Great Britain January 4, 1938 Claims. (01. 67- 60) g This invention pertains to wick-fedburners for use with tubular wicks and particularly adapted for use with blue flame heating and 5 cooking stoves requiring the rapid production of large quantities of heat.

It is an object of the. invention to produce a wick-fed burner, particularly adapted for heating and cooking purposes. t a It is a further object of the invention to produce a burner of the kind described, provided with around wick and with wick operating mechanism contained between the upper and lower ends of the body of the burner for any operative position of the wick in the burnenand in addition, as a further object, to construct said wick operating mechanism. soit may be projected below the base of the burner when it is desired to attach a wick to or disconnect the same from said operating mechanism.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a round wickburner of the kind described provided with side draft passages to supply air to the inside of the wick, in combination with 5 a tubular wick having a continuous annular upper portion anda lower portion slit in line with said draft passagesdwhereby the wick tails so formed extend downwardly. through the burn-- erbetween said draft passages, and stiif operate ing means or members for attachment at their lower ends with the wick operating mechanism,

which means or members extend upwardly, and

are connected at their upper ends with the continuous annular upper portion of the wick,

whereby the wick operating forces are communicated to the portion of the wick that will not be deformed by said forces, and reliable and definite operation of;the wick will result from actuation of the wick operating mechanism.

The above and other objects ofthe invention will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof in which? i Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view oftheimlproved burner, taken along the line l-I in Fig. 3,

Fig. 2 is a different vertical, sectional view of the burner illustrated in Fig. 1, "taken along the line 2 2 in Fig. 3, l

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, sectional view'of the burner, taken along the line 33 in Figs; 1

and 2,

Fig. 4 shows in perspectiveview, a wick con-" struction for use with the burner illustrated in elevations of the wick tail reinforcing strip shown in Fig. 4 before its application to a wick,

Fig. 7 is a vertical, sectional view to an enlarged scale through the wick tail shown in Fig. 5 t

4; as equipped with a reinforcing strip, taken ,along theline 1-7 in the latterflgure, and

Figs. 8 and 9 show in view similar to Fig. 4, modifiedconstructions of the wick.

Similar "numerals, refer to throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the burner includes an'inner wiok tube 10 having a lower end wall Illa, and provided atits upper end with a' flame spreader II which is a sliding fit in the 1.5;; upper; end portion of the tube l0 and rests against lugs llib formed from the tube l0 to support the flame spreader in proper position vere tically. Th-e flame spreader extends substantially above. the upper end of vthe tube [0 and is provided with-perforations in its side wall for supplying air. to the inside of the flame, the upper end of said spreader being closed by an imperforate top wall. The lower portion of the inner wick tube Ill is secured to a tubular sup- 25 v port 12 for the outer wick tube, by a plurality of flat radial tubes I3 forming side draft passages into the-inner wick tube to supply thereto the air required for the proper combustion of the inside of the flame. The tubular support I2 is 30.

spaced substantially from the wick tube l0 so that the lower portionof the Wick, and the wick operating devices may move vertically and freely in the space thus formed. The tubes 13 are relatively narrow and high so that little obstruc- 35 tion will be offered to the movement of the wick and that at the same time a substantialquantity of air will be supplied to the inside of the wick tube Ill. The tubular support I2 is connected at its lower end with an inturned flange 4 on thelower end of theburner base M which is' provided with perforations to supply air to the tubes l3 and also through the burner to the outside of the flame. The lower ends of the support 12 and burner base 14 are connected by a 5' parts. j 50.

The burner also includes an outer wicktube l6 surrounding the inner wick tube III and spaced at its upper end from the inner wick tube by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the annular wick 20 used with the burner, the, 55.:

similar parts 110..

wick tube l6 having a vertical extent in guiding contact with the wick, which is sufficient to properly guide it in its vertical movement. Below the wick guiding portion of the tube I6, said tube is enlarged and extended downwardly and shouldered adjacent its lower end to rest on the upper end of the tubular support I2.

The outer wick tube Hi, the flame flange ll thereon, the support therefor comprising a conical and perforated air distributor I8, and the assembly including the gallery deck l9 and attached outer and inner burner cones lea and 2| and the chimney flange 22 and chimney retaining lugs 22a, are of known construction, for example, substantially of the construction and for the purposes shown and described in U. S. Reissue Patent #18,061 and dated May 5, 1931.

The wick 20, illustrated in Fig. l, is provided with a continuous tubular portion at its upper end below which the Wick is split longitudinally to divide the lower portion of the wick into tails 20a, preferably of equal width, the slits being in alignment with the air tubes l3 when the wick is in use, so that the tails 20a will pass through the lower portion of the burner between said air tubes. In the drawings, six air tubes l3 and six tails 20a on the wick 20 are shown, but it willbe understood that any other number of air tubes andtails may be employed if preferred.

As shown in Fig. 1, opposite ones of the tails 20a have secured to them stiff longitudinal reinforcing and operating metal strips 23. As more clearly shown in Fig. 4 for one of said strips 23,

the strip is secured to the corresponding wick tail 20a by prongs 23a carried by the lower end portion of the strip and extending through. said tail and clinched to secure the parts together. An eyelet 24 also extends through the lower end portion of the strip 23 and the wick tail, which, besides aiding in holding the strip and wick tail together, forms a socket for receiving a part of the wick operating mechanism as below described. As shown in Fig. 4, the lower part of the continuous tubular upper portion of the wick 20, is surrounded by a reinforcing and stiffening band 202), preferably of firm thin fabric, and the upper end of the strip 23 extends above the lower edge of said band, the upper end portion of the strip being provided with prongs 23b which extend through the said band and wick and are clinched to tightly hold the strip and the wick together. As a result of this construction, any wick operating forces exerted vertically on the eyelets 24 by the wick operating'mechanism, are communicated by the strips 23 to the upper continuous annular and reinforced portion of the wick 20 which is capable of withstanding the said forces without deformation, partly because of the upper continuous portion of the wick being relatively stable per se, and partly because of said portion being positively supported between the outer wick tube It and the inner wick tube Hi. If the wick operating forces were applied directly to the wick tails 20a at the locations of the eyelets 24, the desired operation of the wick would not result, because of the loose or flexible nature of the tails 20a.

The wick operating mechanism includes a vertical rack guide 25 disposed centrally in the inner wick tube It! and extending just through the bottom wall Illa of said wick tube, to which bottom wall it is rigidly secured, for example, by soldering. Said guide contains a vertically movable rack bar 26 which meshes with a pinion. 21 secured to the inner end portion of a horizontal shaft or rod 28. The pinion is mounted in a housing 29 secured to the upper end portion of.

the rack guide 25, which housing supports an inner bearing for the adjacent portion of the rod 28, and is provided with a side opening 29a to facilitate assembling the pinion 21 and rod 28 therein. A bracket 3!] of flat sheet metal is secured at its mid-portion to the housing 29 and extends radially to the inner surface of the inner wick tube It to which the flanged ends of the bracket are secured, for example, by soldering. The upper end of the rack guide 25 is thus given stable support in the inner wick tube It. The rod 28 extends radially and horizontally through the upper portion of one of the air tubes l3 and through a plate 3| secured to the tubular support l2, for example, by soldering, to form an outer bearing for the rod 28. Said rod extends beyond the plate 3! and through the burner base M where it has secured to its outer end, an operating button 32 by which the rod 28 may be rotated to move the rack bar 26 vertically as desired. The rod 28 has secured thereto adjacent its inner bearing, for example, by soldering, a sleeve 28a to restrain said rod from longitudinal movement in its bearings.

The upper end of the rack bar 26 has rigidly secured thereto, for example, by a rivet 33, by soldering or other desired means, the mid-portion of a bent wick-operating bar 34 having substantially parallel side members extending towards the bottom wall Illa of the inner wick tube 10, which side members are bent to clear the rack guide 25, the housing 29 and the bracket 39, and adjacent the bottom wall 10a of the inner wick tube the end portions 34a of said bar 34 are bent outwardly away from each other and substantially in line with each other horizontally to extend through. vertical guide slots [c therefor in the opposite sides of the inner wick tube Ill, and to extend also through the eyelets 24 in the opposite tails 20a. of the wick 2D. The bar 34 is continued beyond the eyelets 24 and threaded to receive with a tight fit, internally threaded thumb nuts 35 to hold the wick tails and their reinforcing strips 23 securely in engagement with the Wick operating bar 34, the thumb nuts 35 being of a thickness or length smaller than the space between the wick and the tubular support l2, so that they may move freely vertically in operating the wick, the ends of the wick operating bar 34 preferably being flush with the outer faces of the thumb nuts 35. The wick operating bar 34 and the rack bar 26 are so proportioned that when a new and unused wick is in its operating position, the end portions 34a of the wick operating bar are substantially in or slightly above the plane of the bottom wall Illa of the inner wick tube H], the slots lllc permitting the wick operating bar to be moved upwardly as the wick is burned from continued use. For the lower position of the bar 34 just referred to, the thumb nuts 35 are between the lower end portions of the inner wick tube l0 and the tubular support l2, and to permit the ready removal of the thumb nuts 35 for the purpose of removing an old wick and inserting a new one, the rack bar 26 is constructed to move the wick operating bar 34 an additional amount downwardly so that the thumb nuts 35 will be clear of the lower ends of the inner wick tube It] and tubular support l2. To permit this additional movement the slots I00 are extended into the outer portion of the bottom wall I 0a of the inner wick tube l0, to clear the horizontal end portions 34aof the wick operating bar,.for wick changing purposes. I After the rack bar 26 is assembled in place as described, one or more of the lower teeth of the said rack bar are preferably riveted or deformed as indicated at 26a in Fig. 1, to prevent moving the rack bar upwardly from engagement with the pinion 21.

The wicks are provided with the reinforcing strips 23 and eyelets 24, or are otherwise provided as described with stiffening means and with separable connection means for cooperation with the wick operating mechanism of a burner, in

. connection with manufacturing said wicks, so

that they are ready for installation in the burners when new wicks are needed.

f The removal of an old wick and the insertion of a new one are greatly facilitated by the ready removability of the gallery deck assembly and also of the outer wick tube assembly. The ready removability of the flame spreader ll facilitates cleaning the wick from time to time and also facilitates examination of the wick operating 4 mechanism as well as its repair if necessary.

, Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate one of the reinforcing strips 23 before its application to a wick, to show a manner in which the prongs 23a and 23b may be formed integrally with the reinforcing strip. Fig. '7 illustrates the advantage of the use of the reinforcing strips 23, the length of the continuous tubular portion of the wick 20 being designated W, and the intended amount of burning of the wick being indicated by 11), leaving a portion mi of the continuous portion of the wick that is still available in a completely used wick, to cooperate with the stiffening band 2% in engaging theprongs 2319 so that the wick may be positively moved vertically even after the intended amount .of the wick has been consumed.

Fig. 8 illustrates a wick 20c having a continuous, tubular upper end portion and split tails 20d similar to the wick 20 and tails 20a above described, but in this case, the reinforcing means 28c surrounding the lower'part of the continuous tubular portion of the wick, extends down at 20] onto the upper end portions of the tails 2001 to reinforce the junctions of the tails with the continuous tubular portion of the wick. In

this case, operating strips similar to the strips 23 above described, may be employed as illustrated for one of said strips at 230, which strip as shown, is secured to the upper end portion of one of the tails 2001, by clinched prongs 23d extending through the corresponding tail extension Zflf of the reinforcing means 20c, said strip 230 being provided with an eyelet 24a at I its lower end for engagement with the wick operating mechanism.

It will be understood that the strips 23 or the strips 250 or their equivalents, should in any case where they are used, be connected at their upper end portions with relatively stable portions of the wick structure to insure proper operation of the wick by any suitable wick operating mechanism, but that said strips or their equivalents need not in all cases be connected with the tails of the wick, in which cases. the eyelets, if used, need extend only through said strips or their equivalents to form sockets for the wick bar end portions of the wick operating mechanism. In some cases, if preferred, the strips 23 and 230 may be omitted, and the wick structure may be stiffened as required for effective movement by wick operating mechanism, by impregnation with suitable chemical compounds, for example, compounds of phenol or cresol as disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,570,666 which issued January 26, 1926 to Joseph Geppert. Where the wicks are stiffened by chemical impregnation, as illustrated by the wick 299 in Fig. 9, portions of the wick may be provided with eyelets, or with openings constituting sockets, or with any other desired form of separable connection means for cooperation with the wick operating mechanism of a burner, without use of other stiffening or force transmitting means, for example, certain of the tails 2071. of the wick maybe provided with eyelets 24b to constitute said sockets.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate at 36, a portion of the top wall of a reservoir with which the burner may be used, the burner base it being preferably provided with extending lugs 37 for enhold the burner in place on, the reservoir, the lugs ill preferably being the projecting end portions of angle members 3'la secured to the inner lower portion of the burner base M. In this way, a small amount of angular movement will lock the burner to the reservoir and release it therefrom, as desired.

From the above it will appear that the burner of the invention described is compact and effective, and that the improved Wick operating mechanism disclosed will effectively operate a tubular wick of relatively large diameter, which is provided with tails as described.

The wick construction per se which is above described, is not claimed in the present application, as it constitutes the subject matter of our tober 1'7, 1938.

While we have shown. our invention in the par ticular embodiment described, it will be understood we do not limit ourselves thereto as we may employ equivalents thereof without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a burner construction of the tubular wick type, the combination of an inner wick tube having alower end wall, a vertical rack guide supported in said wick tube, a rack bar movable vertically in said guide, a pinion meshing with said rack bar and operated exteriorly of said burner, and a wick bar secured to said rack bar and extending in opposite directions laterally from said rack bar through said inner wick tube for connection at its end portions with a wick around said wick tube, said wick bar end portions having a lower position in said wick tube adjacent the lower end wall thereof for the fuel burning position of a new Wick in said burner, and having also an upper position in said wick tube for the consumed condition of said wick when in burning position, said wick tube having side slots receiving said bar end portions and providing for said upward movement of said end portions, said rack and pinion providing a position of said wick bar end portions for wick replacement purposes below said lower fuel burning position, said wick tube slots being continued into the lower end wall of said tube to clear said wick bar end portions when moved to wick replacement position.

2. In a burner construction of the tubular wick type, the combination of a first tube comprising an inner wick tube, a second tube surrounding and spaced from said first tube, air tubes extending horizontally between said first and second tubes to deliver air into said first tube, a wick having a continuous tubular portion between the upper portions of said first and second tubes and having also lower tail portions extending downwardly between said air tubes, wick operating devices mounted in said first tube and including a wick bar having end portions substantially below said tubular portion and connected with said wick, and vertical stiffening strip-s separably connected with said wick bar end portions and permanently connected with the continuous tubular portion of said wick.

3. In a burner construction or" the tubular wick type, the combination of a first tube comprising an, inner wick tube, a second tube surrounding and spaced from said first tube, air tubes extending horizontally between said first and second tubes to deliver air into said first tube, a wick having a continuous tubular portion be tween the upper portions of said first and second tubes and having also lower tail portions extending downwardly between said air tubes, wick operating devices mounted in said first tube and including a wick bar having end portions sulstantially below said tubular portion and connected with said wick, and stifiening means between said wick bar end portions and the continuous tubular portion of said wick, said stiffening means including strips of stifi sheet material rigidly and permanently secured at their upper ends to the continuous tubular portion of said wick and having through their lower portions openings to receive the end portions of said wick bar.

4. In a burner construction of the tubular wick A type, the combination of a first tube comprising an inner wick tube, a second tube surrounding and spaced from said first tube, air tubes extending horizontally between said first and second tubes to deliver air into said first tube, a wick having a continuous tubular portion between the upper portions of said first and second tubes and having also lower tail portions extending downwardly between said air tubes, wick operating devices mounted in said first tube and including a wick bar having end portions substantially below said tubular portion and connected with said wick, and stiffening means between said wick bar end portions and the continuous tubular portion of said wick, said stiffening means including strips of sheet metal having integral end prongs in clinching engagement with the continuous tubular portion of said wick and with opposite ones of said tail portions.

5. In a burner construction of the tubular wick type, the combination of an inner wick tube having a lower end wall, a vertical rack guide supported in said wick tube, a rack bar movable vertically in said guide, a pinion meshing with said rack bar and operated exteriorly of said burner, and a wick bar rigidly secured to the upper end portion of said rack bar, said wick bar having mid-portions extending horizontally in opposite directions from said rack bar, said wick bar having two substantially parallel side portions on opposite sides of said rack guide and extending in said inner wick tube respectively from said mid-portions towards said lower end wall, said wick bar also having two spaced end portions extending horizontally in opposite directions respectively from the lower ends of said side portions through clearances in said inner wick tube for engagement with a wick, said rack bar being substantially in the plane of said wick bar.

CORTLAND W. DAVIS. WALTER B. ENGI-I. 

